How to use: Levenshtein Distance
Levenshtein Distance is a free online Text Tools tool that edit distance and similarity between two strings, with Damerau and Hamming variants instantly in your browser. Paste your data, adjust the options and get the result in real time — no installation, no sign-up, and nothing is ever uploaded to a server.
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Description
Edit distance and similarity between two strings, with Damerau and Hamming variants.
- Text Tools
- Because everything is computed client-side, Levenshtein Distance is safe to use with sensitive data such as API keys, tokens or private logs.
How to use
Using Levenshtein Distance takes three steps:
- Paste your data into the input box (or load the example).
- Configure the options to match your target format or scenario.
- Copy, download or inspect the output — it updates live as you type.
Run
Examples
Compare against "sitting" — the textbook example, three edits apart.
Input
kitten
Output
A: "kitten" (6 chars) B: "kitten" (6 chars) Levenshtein distance : 0 Similarity : 100.00% (1 − distance / max length) Normalised dist : 0.0000 Length difference : 0 Meaning: at least 0 single-character edit(s) (insert, delete or substitute) are needed to turn A into B.
This output was produced by actually running the tool, not written by hand.
Use cases
Common situations where Levenshtein Distance helps:
- Edit distance and similarity between two strings, with Damerau and Hamming variants.
Parameters
| key | Options | type | allowed | default | Levenshtein Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
b | Second string (B) | text | — | kitten | — |
mode | Algorithm | select | lev (Levenshtein (ins/del/sub)), dl (Damerau-Levenshtein (+ transposition)), ham (Hamming (equal length only)) | — | lev |
Input: text · Output: text · live update while typing: ✓
FAQ
What is Levenshtein Distance?
Levenshtein Distance edit distance and similarity between two strings, with Damerau and Hamming variants. It runs entirely in your browser, so your data stays private.
Is Levenshtein Distance free to use?
Yes. Levenshtein Distance is free, unlimited and works without registration or installation.
Does my data get uploaded?
No. All processing happens locally in your browser; nothing is sent to any server.
Good to know
- Everything runs client-side, so extremely large inputs are limited by your browser tab’s memory rather than by a server upload limit.